Electronics

Although it's always best to reuse and recycle, many small, simple, low-power electronic devices tend to be single-use. A new paper battery could make them more eco-friendly, as it's activated by water, and it biodegrades once discarded.

While high-end car audio systems do allow users to tweak the various sound frequencies to their liking, the average non-audiophile may get lost in the process. The YourSound system is designed to make things easier, by guiding users via sound samples.

Engineers at MIT have developed a modular computer chip with components that can communicate using flashes of light. This could allow for electronics that can easily be upgraded with new sensors or processors, rather than replacing the whole chip.

A team from the University of Illinois and UC Berkeley has demonstrated a new cooling method that sucks heat out of electronics so efficiently that it allows designers to run 7.4 times more power through a given volume than conventional heat sinks.

Heat is a major hurdle for electronic devices. Scientists have now found that nanowires made of a certain isotope of silicon can conduct heat 150 percent better than regular silicon, potentially leading to drastically cooler computer chips.

Researchers have now developed the fastest logic gates ever created, by zapping graphene and gold with laser pulses. The new logic gates are a million times faster than those in existing computers, demonstrating the viability of “lightwave electronics.”

A TU Delft team has demonstrated a one-way superconductor that gives zero resistance in one direction, but blocks current completely in the other. The discovery, long thought impossible, heralds a 400x leap in computing speed and huge energy savings.

Researchers in Japan have developed a new method for making 2-in wafers of diamond that could be used for quantum memory. The ultra-high purity of the diamond allows it to store a staggering amount of data – the equivalent of a billion Blu-Ray discs.

Engineers at MIT have developed an ultra-thin speaker that could be used to make entire surfaces produce sound. The unique design should be energy efficient and easy to produce at scale, the team says.

Last month, E Ink launched a new version of its color ePaper for digital signage called Gallery Plus. Now the company is back with a version destined for e-readers that boasts fast update times, high resolution and pen input support.

Scientists at Japan's Hiroshima University have demonstrated a greener path forward in quantum dot manufacturing, by using discarded rice husks to produce the world's first silicon quantum dot LED light.

Around a year ago, we got to gawp at the latest color electronic paper display technology from E Ink when we reviewed the excellent PocketBook InkPad Color e-reader. Now E Ink has launched a new generation that gives the color performance a boost.

It may seem like electronics will always get faster, but at some point the laws of physics intervene. Scientists have now calculated the absolute speed limit – the point at which quantum mechanics prevents microchips from getting any faster.

Back in 2014, we saw some of the first examples of color E Ink display technology. The first full color gamut support came a couple of years later, and now the color gamut and contrast has been bumped up again for E Ink Gallery Plus.

Scientists at Cambridge and Disney Research may be a step closer to making holograms less disappointing, creating new “holobricks” that can stack and tile together to produce large 3D images that can be viewed from multiple angles.